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On December 17, 2025 Xcel Energy implemented a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) impacting around 52,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties. PSPS events are implemented in order to reduce the risk of a wildfire caused by power lines or other utility infrastructure. The Public Utilities Commission does not approve or deny Xcel’s use of proactive shutoffs however, the Agency does have an important role in ensuring that the communication, preparation and coordination of PSPS events is protective of customers.
This is Xcel's second PSPS, the first being in April 2024. The PUC received extensive public input following the 2024 event, much of it focusing on lack of notice, inadequate communication during the event, poor mapping of impacted areas and insufficient planning to identify and protect critical infrastructure and facilities. Since 2024, the PUC has taken several steps requiring Xcel to improve its actions across each of these areas. These areas of improvement include:
Advance coordination with state and local emergency response agencies including holding practice shut off events (i.e. “table-top exercises)
Work with local governments to develop lists of critical infrastructure and facilities (e.g. hospitals and water treatment facilities) in order to prioritize communication and power restoration
Advance notice (starting as early as 72 hours in advance) to all potentially impacted customers along with regular updates leading up to the outage
Accurate and timely communication to customers during the outage
Tailored and advanced outreach to individual customers that have informed Xcel of dependence on electric-powered medical equipment
Accurate and detailed mapping both to help residential and commercial customers understand the scope of outages
The PUC also committed to create a new set of rules establishing permanent requirements and standards for public safety power shutoffs. Staff is currently working to draft these rules and welcomes input from Xcel customers on their experiences with the December 2025 event. This information will help ensure that the PUC’s rules are comprehensive.
Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback through the survey or comment links below.
On December 17, 2025 Xcel Energy implemented a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) impacting around 52,000 customers in Boulder, Clear Creek, Jefferson, Larimer and Weld counties. PSPS events are implemented in order to reduce the risk of a wildfire caused by power lines or other utility infrastructure. The Public Utilities Commission does not approve or deny Xcel’s use of proactive shutoffs however, the Agency does have an important role in ensuring that the communication, preparation and coordination of PSPS events is protective of customers.
This is Xcel's second PSPS, the first being in April 2024. The PUC received extensive public input following the 2024 event, much of it focusing on lack of notice, inadequate communication during the event, poor mapping of impacted areas and insufficient planning to identify and protect critical infrastructure and facilities. Since 2024, the PUC has taken several steps requiring Xcel to improve its actions across each of these areas. These areas of improvement include:
Advance coordination with state and local emergency response agencies including holding practice shut off events (i.e. “table-top exercises)
Work with local governments to develop lists of critical infrastructure and facilities (e.g. hospitals and water treatment facilities) in order to prioritize communication and power restoration
Advance notice (starting as early as 72 hours in advance) to all potentially impacted customers along with regular updates leading up to the outage
Accurate and timely communication to customers during the outage
Tailored and advanced outreach to individual customers that have informed Xcel of dependence on electric-powered medical equipment
Accurate and detailed mapping both to help residential and commercial customers understand the scope of outages
The PUC also committed to create a new set of rules establishing permanent requirements and standards for public safety power shutoffs. Staff is currently working to draft these rules and welcomes input from Xcel customers on their experiences with the December 2025 event. This information will help ensure that the PUC’s rules are comprehensive.
Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback through the survey or comment links below.
Have feedback for the PUC about the December 2025 Public Safety Power Shutoff? Feel free to share here. Please note: This info will be public for other users to see.
Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Share We Were Lucky There Was Not Another Marshall Fire - BUT Hardships For the Elderly & Poor Were Difficult on FacebookShare We Were Lucky There Was Not Another Marshall Fire - BUT Hardships For the Elderly & Poor Were Difficult on TwitterShare We Were Lucky There Was Not Another Marshall Fire - BUT Hardships For the Elderly & Poor Were Difficult on LinkedinEmail We Were Lucky There Was Not Another Marshall Fire - BUT Hardships For the Elderly & Poor Were Difficult link
I truly understand the reasoning behind the Public Safety Power Shutoff - especially for certain areas where there are trees and other easily flammable materials next to, or under, the power lines. I remember the Marshall Fire well, and also several other fires near and in Boulder.
But, Excel's grid is completely CRAZY. We live in "Affordable Housing" that is all electric, on 28th Street (US 36) between Valmont and Mapleton in the city of Boulder. Our power was off for 7 1/2 hours on Wednesday, 17 December. We had two brief outages on Thursday, 18 December. Our power went... Continue reading
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During this December 2025 Xcel PSP shut off it became alarming clear that there needs to be more public safety stations set up that have backup power to help save lives of the senior and vulnerable population. Also, we need hard wired land lines back for basic communication and emergency communication. If an entire grid is electric based, it is 100% dangerous and life threatening when that grid is shut down and people have no way to reach out for help (EMT, family or friends) and no way to use other reliable generators that aren't electric based to power vital... Continue reading
Share My Neighbor Ran Low on Oxygen and Died on FacebookShare My Neighbor Ran Low on Oxygen and Died on TwitterShare My Neighbor Ran Low on Oxygen and Died on LinkedinEmail My Neighbor Ran Low on Oxygen and Died link
I live on the western side of Arvada, and my power first went out at 9:40 AM on Wednesday, and was restored around 1:00 PM on Thursday. There was absolutely no wind for hours after the power was cut, and when the wind picked up at my house, it was probably three or four in the afternoon. The second time my power went out on Friday, it was 5:40 AM and that outage lasted until around noon on Saturday. There wasn't any wind for hours again after the power was cut. I was surprised how stressful the power outages would... Continue reading
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We have lived in the North Table Mountain area for 22+ years. Xcel turned off our power Wednesday morning, hours before there was even so much as a breeze. We’ve had much worse wind. But at least we had power. Over the next four days our power was off for 54 hours, putting us in the Dark Ages along with thousands of other residents.
Xcel needs to fix their flawed infrastructure instead of shutting down the entire system.
And stop wasting our money on PR campaign ads telling everyone how great you are, Xcel. Show us instead.
Share Frail power grid, shareholder greed on FacebookShare Frail power grid, shareholder greed on TwitterShare Frail power grid, shareholder greed on LinkedinEmail Frail power grid, shareholder greed link
My frustration lies with shut off being the primary source of management for the wildfire risk due to wind and dry weather. I would like to see less money going to shareholders so that Xcel can spend money on burying or improving the frail power grid to make it more robust . Customers without power as the new normal and shareholders still making record profits as our rates increase doesn't make sense. If Xcel truly reports to the PUC, then the PUBLIC should be considered in making the grid more robust, at a cost to shareholders. Not every company makes... Continue reading
Share Xcel will cut our power, but won't trim our trees on FacebookShare Xcel will cut our power, but won't trim our trees on TwitterShare Xcel will cut our power, but won't trim our trees on LinkedinEmail Xcel will cut our power, but won't trim our trees link
We live in the Green Mountain area and only lost power for 4 hrs. Luckily, we were notified the night before, saying it would be out 5 am - 6 pm the following day so had some time to prepare. However, the next morning after it got cut off, we got another notification saying power would be restored by 10 pm the FOLLOWING day, and then not 2-3 hrs later power was restored. So all in all, not too affected, but communication caused us a lot of uncertainly. Meanwhile, we could look out our window during the outage and see... Continue reading
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United Power recently upgraded the power lines in Coal Creek Canyon, but gets it's main feed from Xcel. It seemed that our canyon was "safe" with the Hendrix lines, yet our power was cut off anyway. Lived in this house in the canyon for 20 years and have never had the power off for so long (except maybe the 2013 flood) -- thus never felt the need for a generator. We lost about $400 worth of food in the freezer and fridge and spent one night in a motel due to the intermittent power outages. Our water source is a... Continue reading
Share The burden and risk is far freater than imagined. on FacebookShare The burden and risk is far freater than imagined. on TwitterShare The burden and risk is far freater than imagined. on LinkedinEmail The burden and risk is far freater than imagined. link
Lets start off with disconnecting the power disconnects people from emergency services.
This is an actual year world as in has happened scenario. This is what happened around the BrookForest area of Evergreen.
Turning off the power to an area as large as what Xcel did not only cuts power to homes and businesses but it also cuts power to things like broadband internet and cable TV. Now while most people consider those things to be "luxury services" this could not be farther from the truth. Jefferson county uses a phone application in order to let residents know of any... Continue reading
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Single mother of 2 teenagers. I already barely make ends meet, I can’t even buy Christmas gift this year. I had to ask for a pay advance to put food in my fridge and freezer. 2 days before our power was just off. We had no wind. Wind has been 60+ mph gust week before for days. All that food I bought had to be thrown out. Now we have no food for the next 3 weeks. Food banks barely have enough food to make meals. I make $50 to much to qualify for food stamps. There is no insurance... Continue reading
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